Sukhbir demands CBI probe into paddy procurement on Diwali day
Procurement normally comes to a standstill on Diwali because the staff and arhatiyas are not present in the mandis on this day. Despite this, 4.7 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were procured on Diwali
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday demanded CBI inquiry into the sudden influx of 4.7 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in the state on Diwali day.
“Procurement normally comes to a standstill on Diwali because the staff and arhatiyas are not present in the mandis on this day. Despite this, 4.7 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were procured on Diwali,” he said.
“It is clear that either paddy has been recycled to book profits or arrivals have been procured from outside the state,” the SAD chief alleged.
He said since this could only be done with political patronage, the case should not be probed by the state vigilance and should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation so that the truth could be laid threadbare.
He also condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for closing 1,559 grain markets in the state despite the fact that paddy was still arriving in mandis and demanded that paddy procurement operations should continue till November 20.
“This government has discriminated against farmers from day one by refusing to pay compensation for crop losses and is now closing down mandis arbitrarily, leaving farmers in the lurch,” the SAD president said in a statement.